As Amsterdam moves toward its 2040 carbon-neutral and 2050 renewable-heating targets, infrastructure must increasingly support the city’s energy transition. The Oostbrug, a planned cycling and pedestrian bridge across the IJ River, provides an opportunity to demonstrate an energy-autonomous bridge concept. Its combined electrical and thermal loads for lighting, operation, and winter de-icing are traditionally supplied by grid electricity and salt spreading. Integrating renewable energy sources with hydronic bridge-deck heating can reduce grid dependence, eliminate salt use, and enhance the bridge’s sustainability.
This thesis investigates the feasibility of a self-sufficient bridge energy system combining solar, wind, and thermal sources with on-site battery storage. Five configurations were modeled: three direct heating systems using energy piles or aquathermal heat pumps, and two indirect systems with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES). A MATLAB-based hourly simulation using KNMI 2024 weather data and modeled IJ-water temperatures evaluated energy and peak coverage, embodied CO2, and battery requirements.
Among the direct systems, only the aquathermal heat-pump configuration (System 3) meets both annual and peak de-icing demands, though it requires substantial battery capacity and is sensitive to cold conditions. ATES-based systems (Systems 4 and 5) achieve full annual coverage with strong winter resilience. System 4, combining aquathermal recharge with ATES, provides the highest energy surplus of 2373 MWh yr−1 but with greater complexity and embodied emissions, while System 5, using bridgedeck regeneration, offers a simpler, more material-efficient solution with 1048 MWh yr−1 surplus and higher robustness. Both storage-led systems eliminate salt-based de-icing, avoiding 7.9 t CO2 yr−1 , salinization in the IJ river, and deterioration of the bridge construction. System 5 is identified as the preferred option for full-deck, energy-autonomous operation. The Oostbrug demonstrates how bridges can serve as energy-positive infrastructure, integrating structural, thermal, and electrical systems. Future work should extend model validation across multiple climate years and explore integration with Amsterdam’s district heating network.